Adjustable light or other fixture.



W. L. FBANKS. ADJUSTABLE LIGHT 0B. OTHERPIXTURE; APPLICATION rxnnp MAR.16,'1910,

I 986,451 Patented Mar. 14, 1911 u/JALMCIJ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

WILLIAM L. FRANKS, OF ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS.

ADJUSTABLE LIGHT on OTHER rix'runn;

To all whom it concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. FRANKB,

a citizen of the United States of America,

and resident of Rock Island, Rock Islan county, Illinois, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in Adjustable Light or other Fixtures, of which the follow ing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in adjustable light or other fixtures, and has for its object the production of a device in which spring clamping means are used in combination with a ball to hold. articles in any desired. position.

V A further object is the )roductionof a device to take the place 0 the ordinary ball and socket joint.

A further object is the production of a device of simple construction, and one thatis not liable to easily get out of order. These and such other objects as may here- .inafter'appear are attained by my device, embodiments of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which 25 Figure 1- represcnts a side elevation of my dev1ce,.partly in section. Flg. 2 represents a reduced top planview of Fig. 1. Fig. 3

represehts .a side elevation of a modified form of my device. Fig. etrep'resents' an enlarged detail of my device. Like nuu'ierals of rcfer'ence'indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawing.

Referring now to the drawings: 5 repre-; sents a metal ball provided with a threaded bore inwhich is screwed a rod or support 6 adapted to support any desired article, such.

as an electric light, a shade or the'liko; 7

' represents a bowl-shaped support or bracket provided with an oubturned flange '8 and having a circular opening in the center of 'its flat face of a slightly less diameter than that of the-ball 5, leaving an inwardly projectmg flange i) surroundn-ig the opening.

()ne edge of this l'lange is'cut away, leaving an acute angle W 1th an acute apex; Below the flange 9 is a ring 10 having an openingconforming with 'that'in the flat face, of thesupport 7, the ring being held in the desired po sition by means'oi bolts 11., the heads 12 of which enga'ge the flange ring 9, the bolts passing through holes in the lower ring and terminating in'nuts lid-between which and the under side of the ring 10 are interposed springs 14, by means of which the ring is Specification 01 Letters Patent.

, Application filed March 16, 1910.- Serial No. 5A9,7'74.

Patented Mar. 14, 1911.

held against the outer periphery of the ball.

The contacting edge of this plate is also.

preferably formed as a sharp edge. I

' The d vice may be fixed securely in place by mea 18 of screws passing throughholes 15 in the lower-flange; or if desired, the base itself may be weighted in order to prevent the device from tipping over when the position 'of the ball and member 6 is shifted. In Fig. 3, I have shown a modification in Which the upper plate 16 is bent upwardly at 17 and outwardly at 18. The plate is provided'with an opening of diameter than thatof the ball 5*, and may beheld against a wall or ceiling by means of any suitable fasteners (not shown) through the portion 18. A lower plate or ring 19 is provided with an opening corresponding to that in the top plate, the edges of the two"0pening's gripping the ball above andfbelow its center; i

The lower plate is held in position. bylneans of bolts 11 having head's 12 engaging the under side of the plate 19. Nuts 13? are screwed on the upper ends of the bolts and springs 14 are interposed between the nuts i and the top plate 16.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a detail section or; a ring 10 with one edge cutaway at20, leaving 111 acute angled inner edge with a sharpened apex 21, ith the inner edgesof the rings cut away in the manner described, the ball will be supported on practically a pair of parallel knife edges held spring-pressed against-the outer surface "otthe ball,'-bywhich means a very firm support is'obtained so that the ball can be securely held in any desired position Without danger of slipping;

' It will be noted that by regulating the tension of the/springs 14i1+lby means of the nuts 13-13, the edges of the flanges may v be caused to press against the surface of the course,.being regulated bythe Weightof the ball with any desired force, the pressure, of 1 article which is attached to or carried by the}.

rod 6. By making theopenings'inthe fin s 3' or plates only slightly smaller than the d ameter of the ball, the ballis gripped n'ear its center line, thus (permittinga wide angu-i' lar range of the r0 6; that 15, the rod can he swung upwardly or dd'wnwardlyin nearl a horizontal position without inter'f ing; 0.5

with the plate or rings,

In the form shown in Fig..1,-,;praeti the entire device is concealed yvithln caseorgshell 7 and is thus protected against dust orftla-m' ness and at the same time hidiniiall'li nsig tly portions of the device.

y de ee may be used in connection with -5 electric li hts, telephone h lders, book rests,

adjustabl trays for the sic -room, and dental ofliees and' lor a multitude of purposes; [in fact, inia lace where an adjustable joint i is required or esiredto support a weight in [0 an u 1. In a jfixture supporting electric lights or oth'enfixturj'ega pair of plates each 'aving a 'cireularopening therein, registering with each other-,3. ball seated Within said openings, and spring" means for holding said 1 plates in 'c'ontact with said ball, one of said plates provided with a sharp edge adapted to'bear against said ball to hold it in any desired position.

2. In a fixture for supporting electric "lights or other devices, a base or body'adaptto be placed or mounted in position, having an opening in-its outer end, a ball larger than said opening, seated therein, a late having an opening smallerthan the ba 1, in

which the latter is also seated, s ringmeans for keeping the ball clamped jetween the body and plate, whereby the'uallis adapted .to be rotated in the two openings, in any direction, which openings have sharp eircular edges forming-bearing surfaeesthat engage the ball to merely cause friction, and means for regulating the tension of said spring means, to cause the ball'to be retained by frlction in any desired position, Without interfering with the free and easy rotary adjustment thereof.

Signed by me at Rock Island, 7th day of March 1910.

WILLIAM LfFRANKs.

llinois, this Witnesses H. W. ANDRn s, VERA Annnnws. 

